SATORE AND A_BAHN PREMIERE ‘COSMOS WITHIN US’ AT THE 76TH VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

The London-based creative studio and tech pioneers join forces with Luxembourg’s a_BAHN to bring ground-breaking VR project to life.

With the support of Film Fund Luxembourg, multi-disciplinary creative studio and tech company, Satore, and a_BAHN, a documentary and VR production house, have joined forces to realise a new cinematic piece about ‘loss’.

Setting out to ‘trigger social impact with bold narratives’, a_BAHN was the perfect fit for Cosmos Within Us, as the film’s Director and Satore Founder, Tupac Martir, explains: “From the moment we had our first chat, a_BAHN Founders Marion Guth and François Le Gall were very enthusiastic about the concept and what we were trying to achieve. They have produced various amazing projects and we knew that this would be a great partnership.”

On the inspiration behind the piece, Tupac says:“Loss is an inevitable part of life. Some are devastated by it, while others draw on it for motivation. The way memory influences our identity inspired me to tell this story in VR and bring to life what it means to forget.”

The journey of Cosmos draws us inside the mind of Aiken, a 60-year-old man suffering from Alzheimer’s. As we wander through the memories of his past, they shape-shift, as if in a state of constant re-construction. However, the precious moments from childhood that Aiken manages to retain, feel tainted. Concealed in oblivion, there is one memory he’s trying to forget…

This multi-sensory VR film will be shown in full for the first time at the prestigious Venice Film Festival starting on the 27th August. A true collaboration, this visual experience goes far beyond the reality of imagination; it delivers scent, touch and live sound while igniting human emotion and connection.

“We started writing this concept in June 2017, with the idea of ‘loss’ at its core,” continues Martir. “And by October 2017, we had decided to create a prototype with the technical elements playing a bigger role.

Sergio Ochoa, Co-Founder and Creative Technologist for Satore Tech explains that fusing different technologies to push boundaries, is the heartbeat of the company. “‘Cosmos Within Us’ allows the reimagining of technology to become the true enabler of our creative endeavours. Ultimately, the way in which we use technology for this project will have a lasting impact on the audience.”

“In parallel to progressing with the piece, our story developer read an article about a scientist whose father had recently passed away,” Tupac adds. “She took some of the ashes and investigated what was inside them. Under the microscope, instead of seeing grey matter, she saw an entire cosmos. I was fascinated by this, and so began to learn about how each one of us carries this ‘Cosmos Within Us’.

“For example, how many people don’t think about another person every day, yet, when their name is mentioned, have memories of them? This became an essential part of the piece; the importance of memory and how we, as people, carve ourselves into the lives of others. We ‘live on’ through other people’s memories, whether we’re still here on earth or not.”

Key to understanding this film is knowing that Alzheimer’s does not discriminate. This piece was created to deliver a sense of hope and understanding to anyone affected by this very common and devastating disease. With advancements in VR, this project strives to remember the forgotten. After all, Memory is all We Are.

“As we were developing the script, we were also developing a synergy between visuals, music, scent and touch,” explains Martir. “I wanted to understand what happens when we bring our collective knowledge of live entertainment and performance together, exploring how the two mediums can become something new.

“At the same time, the viewer, who wears a Vive Pro with a headless mount [allowing for free movement without cable restriction] becomes completely immersed in the experience, unaware of the surrounding production. We are integrating many aspects used in live entertainment and interweaving it with typical VR technology.”

Discussing the location and impact of the project’s debut, Martir concludes: “Venice is an incredible platform for VR and I hope people will become fully immersed by what’s been created. With ‘Cosmos Within Us’, our dedicated team has produced something truly different.”

Synopsis:

This story draws us inside the mind of Aiken, a 60-year-old man suffering from Alzheimer’s. As we wander through the spaces of his past, they shape-shift, as if in a state of constant re-construction inside his fragmented brain. However, the precious moments from childhood that Aiken manages to keep hold of feel tainted. Concealed in oblivion, there is one memory he’s trying to forget…

Inspiration:

The initial story idea behind this film was derived in a very organic way and is personal to Founder and Creative Director of Satore Studio, Tupac Martir, who had experienced the onset of Alzheimer’s within the family unit. Combining human experience and emotion vividly, it was decided the theme of ‘Loss’ from reality and memory could be better realised via VR technology.

Narrative

Martir began to learn about how humans carry a ‘Cosmos Within Us’. Memories are unique to each person and are key to maintaining lasting relationships and to our everyday functioning. He says: “How many people don’t think about another person every day, yet, when their name is mentioned, have memories of them? This became an essential part of the piece; the importance of memory and how we, as people, carve ourselves into the lives of others.”

Fundamentally, even as we change, our memory remains. Until of course, it doesn’t…

Creative Process:

The process began over 27 months ago, initially starting with a short script to see how the technology could be applied. A proof of concept was applied and the journey of marrying the story, tech and other elements eventually created what we have today. Each element enhances the story, used in order for the story to be told correctly and with the right emotion.

Engagement:

Although this narrative is close to Tupac’s heart, it also has the power to strike a chord with a global audience. Alzheimer’s does not discriminate. This piece was created to deliver a sense of hope and understanding to anyone affected by this very common and devastating disease. With advancements in VR, we strive to remember the forgotten. After all, Memory is all We Are.

Technological Advancements:

Created and pioneered over the course of two years, Cosmos Within Us has developed into a multi-sensory VR experience. Sergio Ochoa, Co-Founder and Creative Technologist for Satore Tech explains that fusing different technologies to push boundaries, is the heartbeat of the company, and the epicentre of this project: “‘Cosmos Within Us’ allows the reimagining of technology to become the true enabler of our creative endeavours. Ultimately, the way in which we use technology for this project will have a lasting impact on the audience.”

Unique Qualities:

Always progressive in nature, with this project, Satore further explores how the cinematic experience can be enhanced. Using scent and touch to transport the audience, they’ll also bear witness to a live film score and narration. Combining the use of live entertainment and VR technologies to deliver something unique to Venice Film Festival.

Notes to Editors:

‘Cosmos Within Us’ is a film by London-based creative house Satore Studio and Satore Tech. During the film’s development, a_BAHN, a collective of ‘cinema shifters’ became co-producers.

The film’s technological aspects were made possible via dedicated research and development from Satore’s sister company, Satore Tech – a pioneering influencer in the development of technology in entertainment.

This film was realised with the grateful help of the Luxembourg Film Fund.

Half of all adults aged 85 and over have Alzheimer’s. Symptoms can develop in people as young as age 30. The incidence of Alzheimer’s will increase to every 33 seconds in the next 30 years.

Source: the PR Factory